Tie loading device



Feb. 21, 1933. T, E, FARMER TIE LOADING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1931 5 hee2 INVENTOR,

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Feb. 21, 1933. T. E. FARME R TIE LOADING DEVICE Filed Jan. 19, 1931 3 hts-Sheet 3 a 4 a; g 8

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5 u ma In mm m 8V m EM/ M 6 a n Y B I? 0 Patented Feb. 21, 1933 THOMASE. FARMER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI TIE LOADING DEVICE Application filedJanuary 19, 1931 Serial No. 509,659.

The present invention pertains to loading structure and particularlythat type of apparatus adapted for use in loading railroad ties or logs,and the primary object of the invention is to provide in such astructure, a unique combination of parts adapted to convey ties from agiven point to position within a box car.

A further object of the instant invention is the contemplation of aloading structure which includes, with a power driven conveyor, a novelfeeding device, a power driven article turning apparatus, a transportingmember, extending transversely of said conveyor, and an automaticarticle dropper; all of which are driven from a common source of power,and handle the articles being loaded without the use of manual labor orfurther mechanical structures.

A yet further object of the invention is to. provide a loading structurehaving the above mentioned combination of parts, and in addition, aplurality of'sections which comprise the conveyor, all interlocked andinterconnected by novel elements which permit transmitting power fromone section to the next and which allow disposing the adjacent sectionsat any predetermined or required angle.

A large number of minor objects contemplated by this invention willappear during the course of the detailed specification, wherein specificreference will be made to parts illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a complete loading structure made inaccordance with.

this invention. v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing the relation ofconveyor, transporting member, article turning apparatus and dropper.

Fig. 4:lS an enlarged detailed side eleva tion of the feeding device,parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 5- is a plan view of the feeding device.

Fig. 6 is a vertical central section through the same taken on lineVI-VI of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section through the feeding device taken online VIIVII of Fig. 4. v

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view showing a portion of thefeeding device in two extreme positions.

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section through the feeding deviceillustrating the article being conveyed in two positions. g F igJlO is adetailed view showing the pivco otally interconnected conveyor sections.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the interlocking connections between conveyorsections taken on line XI-XI of Fig. 3. r I

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the detail '65 assembly of F ig. 11.

Fig. 13'is a detailof the locking member associated with eachinterlocking connection.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary longitudinal ver- I tical section illustratingthe article turning apparatus taken. on line XIV-XIV of F s- 3- a Fig;15 is a longitudinal vertical section through the automatic droppertaken online XVXV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 16 is a vertical cross section through the dropper taken on lineXVIXVI of Fig. 3, and, y r

Fig. 17 is a detailed, fragmentary, vertical sectionthrough the end ofthe dropper showing the automatic'releasing mechanism in two positions.

While a loading structure made in accordance with this invention must beconstructed and used as a Complete assembly, S5 the same is formed of aplurality of units, each of which will be separated from the rest anddescribed without reference to the others. Like reference characterswill be used to designate similar parts throughout all the views of thedrawings.

Fig. 1 illustrates generally, and in a diagrammatical manner, ause towhich the load ing structure may be placed. In this im stance. it isdesired to convey ties, hereinafter designated as the article orarticles 20, to a box car 22 froma point remote therefrom. To carry outthis duty in accordance with the present invention,the loading structuremust include'a feeding device 24, a conveyor 26, a power-driven articleturning apparatus 28, a transporting member 30 and an automatic dropper32. These units of the entire mechanism act upon the article 20 in thesequence as mentioned, and each has a unique structure, especiallyadapted to handle article 20 in a manner which facilitates loading andin a fashion which coacts with the remaining units of the loadingstructure.

Feeding device Feeding device 24 forms a portion of the length ofconveyor 26 and has means for feeding an article to the power-drivenrollers 34 one at a time from each side respectively. To perform thisduty, frame 36 of feeding device 24 supports on each side, a pair ofinclined guides 38, along which slides article 20 after it has beenplaced thereon. All rollers 34 of conveyor 26 and transporting member 30are driven from a single source of power, not here shown, by itsconnection to a pulley wheel 40, rigidly secured to one end of aprojected shaft supporting one of the plurality of rollers 34. Asillustrated, each roller 34 is provided with a multiplicity of spurs 42which engage the article 20 as it is moved along. A number of sprocketchains 44 extend substantially the entire length of the loadingstructure and pass over sprocket wheels 46, one of which is associatedwith each roller 34. Through the use of the structure just set down,driving power is trans mitted to all necessary parts of the structure.

It is from the projected shaft 48 that the operating power for feedingdevice 24 is taken. Each side of the device 24 is identical andreference will here be made to the parts on one side. A bevel gear 50,mounted on shaft 48, meshes with gear 52 carried by vertical shaft54which supports a similar gear 56 which is in mesh with bevel gear 58mounted on the projected end of transverse shaft 60, which in turntransmits the power across to similar mechanism on the opposite side offeeding device 24. When articles 20 slide down along guides 38, theirinitial position is as illustrated in Fig. 9, that is, they rest upontransverse rollers 62, supported by slides 64 mounted in the frame 36 offeeding device 24 to permit longitudinal reciprocating movement as thesame is imparted thereto through the linkage illustrated in Fig. 8. Alink 66, pivotally carried at the end of slide 64, pivotally engagesconnecting link 68 at its one end. The opposite end of connecting link68 is pivotally held to frame 36 by a pin 70 with its arcuate endprojecting behind gear 58 and in the'path of travel of a'pin 72,.mOunted on the back of gear 58. As gear 58 is rotated through the powerconnection above mentioned, connecting link 68 is moved to the dottedline position illustrated in Fig. 8, which draws slide 64longitudinally. In so doing, article 20, which rests upon rollers 62,carried by slide 64, is moved against a fixed roller 74, which acts as astop for article 20 to push that end from a position on roller 62 sothat it falls by gravity, down upon rollers 34 therebelow. This positionis illustrated by dotted lines, Fig. 9. As soon as pin 72 releases itshold upon connecting link 68, spring 76 returns slide 64 to the point ofbeginning. Simultaneously with the action just above mentioned, article20 will be acted upon by a pusher 8 mounted upon member 80, connectingthe ends of slides 64 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. As the action ofdropping is carried onand when slides 64 are moved forward, stillanother duty is carried out.

Vertically slidable pins 82 j ournalled within frame 36, in the path oftravel of an inclined face 84 are pushed upwardly to preclude movementof an article 20 from guides 38. As soon as slides 64 are returned tothe position illustrated in Fig. 4, pins 82 resume the position showntherein and an article 20 may move to position upon rollers 62, the samehaving moved to the point of beginning and having released an article 20to be acted upon by rollers 34, which carry article 20 to the nextsucceeding section of conveyor 26,

Gan/063,101"

Conveyor 26 is made up of a plurality of sections, one of whichunderlies feeding device 24, just described. Each section has a numberof rollers 34 rotatably carried between side walls 86. As abovementioned, each roller is provided with a sprocket wheel 46 whichengages chain 44. Conveyor 26 may be made any length and disposed at anydesired angle through the novel structure which forms the interlockingconnections between the various sections of the conveyor. Details shownin Figs. 11, 12 and 13, as well as the showing of the interlockingconnections in Figs. 3 and 10, clearly disclose the manner in whichadjustment between conveyor sections might be obtained, the manner ofsecuring the same in the desired position, and, simultaneously,transmitting motive power from one section to another.

,A pair of pintles 88. pivotally interconnects overlapping side walls 86of adjacent conveyor sections, and a gear is keyed to one of saidpintles 88 in a manner which permits its teeth to mesh with the teeth ofgears 92 carried by shafts 94, which in turn support rollers 34, asillustrated in Fig. 12. Thus driving power is transmitted from onesection of conveyor 26 to another, and since relative movement betweensections is had around pintles 88, gears 90 and 92 are always maintainedin mesh.

' Overlapping of sides 86 of the sections of conveyorv 26 is caused bythe use of plate 96,

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rigid with one section and extending therefrom to overlap the next. Asshown in Fig. 10, a sidewall of one section has formed thereby anarcuate rack 98, the center of which is pintle 88. Such a rack is formedon each side wall of one section and a pinion 100 is provided for eachrack. Shaft 102 carries these pinions and extends through both plates 96to support ratchet wheel 104. Adjacent this ratchet 104 is positioned adog 106 which is movable to and from engagement therewith when it isdesired to lock and unlock conveyor sections for adjustment. Obviously,this locking mechanism just set forth precludes breaking of conveyorsections after they have been pos tioned at the desired angle. Such anangularity is illustrated in Fig. 1 and another showing of thisinterconnecting feature is shown at the right side of Fig. 6. Pinion 100shown in Figs. 6 and 11 is not engaged by gears 90, but is in mesh withthe arcuate rack 98 formed on side 86 directly behind the gear 90.Articles 20 will be moved along conveyor 26 and where a box car 22 isbeing loaded, it will be desired to move articles 20 toward each endthereof.

Transporting member A transporting member 30 may be made up of a numberof sections which are identical with those used in conveyor 26. Theinterconnection between the same is like the connection between thesections of conveyor 26 and, while the transporting member may be usedto elevate articles 20, in the instance shown it is disposed in ahorizontal plane extending transversely of conveyor 26 and laterally toeach s de thereof. A selective clutch mechanism 108 which is manuallyop,- erable, is positioned at the junction of conveyor 26 andtransporting member 30 and permits directing articles 20 along member ineither direction. This mechanism may be made up of a pair of bevel gears110, d sposed on each side of a like gear 112, which is mounted uponprojected shaft 114, supporting one of the rollers 34.

Gears 110 are slidably mounted upon shaft 116 and may be moved throughthe medium of lever 118 when shifting is desired. A belt 120 transmitsdriving power to shaft 116 from pulley 40 which ismounted upon shaft122, which in turn supports the pulley, over which passes belt 120.

Article turning apparatus Manifestly, article 20 must be turned at thepoint of connection between conveyor 26 and transporting member 30.Also, this turning must be done to direct article 20 in the properdirection. This invention further provides a power-driven'articleturning apparatus 28, supported by transporting member 30 and drivenfrom'the power-driven the direction of movement of. pins 126, and

since all parts. of member SO'andarticle turn; in'g app'aratus 28- are:moving in the same direction, article 20'will-be turned at the'propertime and conveyed toward. an automatic dropper 32 whichforms a part ofthe length of member 30. Apin 125 engages article20 as it turns and;acts as a fulcrum to assist the action.

Automatic dropper An automatic dropper 32 forms the final section oftransporting member 80 and should be positioned where articles 20 may bemanu ally handled for orderly stacking. with the least possibleinconvenience. Articles 20 are moved onto arms 132 of dropper 32 andslide thereover until oneen'd strikes a bumper 134 adjustably mounted at186. j a

When bumper 134 is engaged by article 20, the same is moved to theposition shown: in dotted lines of Fig. 17 by overcoming the tension ofsprings 138, which normally hold members 140 in a supporting position.beneath arms 182which areformed upon rods 142 which, in turn, arerotatably mounted in bearings 144.

It is obvious that allof the component parts of this loading structureare operated from a single source of power and that the combination ofelements making up the entire structure is necessary before operation iscomplete. Modifications as to structure might be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention and the device put to various useswithout departing in any manner from the basic intent of the inventionand scope of the appended claims.

hat is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loading structure, a conveyor, comprising a plurality ofsections; a plurality of conveyor rollers rotatably mounted on eachsection; a sprocket wheel associated with each roller intermediate itsends; a sprocket chain interconnecting all sprocket wheels of eachsection; and power transmitting means between interconnecting thesprocket wheels at the adjoining ends of the sections whereby power istransmitted from one section to the next adjoining.

2. In a loading structure, a conveyor, comprising a plurality ofsections; a plurality of conveyor rollers rotatably mounted on eachsection; a sprocket wheel associated with each roller; a sprocket chaininterconnecting all sprocket wheels of each section ;'and powertransmitting means between interconnecting the sprocket wheels at theadjoining ends of the sections whereby power is transmitted from onesection to the next adjoining; said means including'a rotatably mountedgear; and a gear carried by the end roller of each section, all of saidgears being in mesh.

3. In a loading structure, a conveyor C0111- prising a plurality ofsections, the sides of adjoining sections overlapping; a pintlepivotally interconnecting said. overlapping sides; a plurality ofrollers rotatably mounted on each section; power actuated means torotate all of said rollers of the conveyor including a sprocket wheel atthe center of each roller respectively a sprocket chain interconnectingall of said sprocket wheels of each section, a gear carried by each endroller of adjoining sections, and a gear mounted on said pintle for freerotation, said gears on the rollers and said pint'le-supported gearbeing in mesh to form a gear train for transmitting roller driving forcefrom one section to the section next adjoining; and means to a maintainadjoining sections against relative movement and at the desired angleincluding an arcuate rack formed by the side wall of one section, arotatable pinion in mesh with said rack, and means to'lock said pinionagainst rotation. s V

In testimony whereof, I-hereunto affix my signature. 7

THOMAS E. FARMER.

